Wringer



iatented Sept. 9, 1941 i Fl 6 WnmGEn John V. Gunn, Okmulgee, Okla, assignor of onc half to Antone Rego, Tulsa, Okla.

Application August 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,746

3 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes wringers of the power driven type, one of the objects being to provide means whereby one of the expressing rolls of the wringer can be easily and quickly released in cases of emergency so as to open the pass between the expressing rolls and free any object gripped therein.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for guiding fabrics to the rolls.

A still further object is to provide a wringer which is simple in construction, compact and durable.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wringer, a portion being broken away.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section taken from one side to the other thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3taken beyond the ends of the rolls and showing the head partly in elevation and partly in section.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of. the heads and its sliding block.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one end portion of the cross bar.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a portion of the fastener.

Figure 8 is a section through a portion of the structure taken on the line 8-8, Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a section through a portion of one end of a roll and showing a retractible gudgeon therein.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the holding blocks.

Figure 11 is a vertical section through aportion of one of the heads, showing the adjacent portion of the bearing block released.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A and B designate interfitting lower and upper members mounted for relative sliding movement. The lower member includes heads l of any suitable contour and each is provided in the upper portion of the inner side thereof with 1 an angular recess 2. A socket 3 is formed in 55 the bottom of recess 2 and extending downwardly from the bottom of the recess and below this socket is a stationary T-shaped block 4 having a plurality of apertures'any one of which is adapted to receive the gudgeon 5 of an idler roll 6.

The two heads are connected by cross members l6 preferably formed of sheet metal, these members being box-like and havingtheir ends secured within recesses I! provided in the heads I at opposite sides of the blocks 4. The upper surfaces of the members It are inclined upwardly toward the recess 2 as ,shown particularly in Figure l.

The two heads joined by the members l6 provide a rigid body structure for the wringer and the lower expressing roll l8 has its gudgeons l9 seated in the sockets 3. This expressing roll is adapted to support the upper intermediate portion of-an endless belt 20 which diverges downwardly along the top inclined surfaces of the members 16 and then extends partly around guide rolls 2! interposed between the lower corner portions of the head I where the gudgeons 22 of these rolls 2| bear within openings 23. The lower portion of the beltZEi extends over the idler roll 6 heretofore referred to. Obviously the members [6 are located between the upper and lower portions of the belt as shown, the upper surfaces of these members serving to support the belt between rolls 2! and it as shown.

The structure A thus far described constitutes the lower or main body portion of the wringer. In addition thereto there is provided a member 13 including holding blocks? slidably mounted in the respective recesses 2 and each provided in its inner side with a recess 8. Each recess 8 is open at the inner side and at the top and is provided in its bottom with a slot 9 registering a with the socket 3. Rods it are secured at their upper ends to the bottoms of the holding blocks 1, the rods of each block being locate'dat opposite sides of the slot .9 in said block. These rods are slidable within the upper ends of the blocks .4 forming the bottoms of recesses 2 and they project downwardly at opposite sides of the lower portions of the blocks 4. These downwardly projecting portions carry coiled springs H and the upper ends of these springs bear against shoulders 12 formed by the upper portions of the blocks 4 while the lower ends of the springs bear against adjusting nuts I3 mounted on the rod.

A slot I4 is formed in one side wall of each recess 8 and alined openings l5 are formed in the walls of this slot for the reception of 'a pivot pin l.

Located above the blocks 1 is a top bar 24 to the ends of which are secured depending blocks 25 so shaped as to fit within the respective recesses 8, each of these blocks being formed with a rearwardly projecting ear 26 located to work within slot l4 and provided with a slot 2'! adapted to receive the pivot pin l5.

When the blocks 25 and. their connecting cross bar are in normal position, they rest not only within the respective recesses 8 but also bear downwardly on ledges 28 provided by the tops of the holding blocks I. Slots 29 are arranged within the blocks 25 and receive the gudgeons 39 of the upper expressing roll 3| and each of these gudgeons projects under an adjustable bearing element 32 adapted to be adjusted downwardly by means of screws 33 engaged within the upper portions of the blocks and within the end portions of the connecting bar 24,

The front edges of the blocks 25, which are the edges opposite to those from which the ears 25 extend, are formed with substantially semicylindrical recesses 34 and when the blocks are in their normal positions in recesses 8, the recesses 34 register with corresponding oppositely disposed recesses 35 in the adjacent walls of the recesses 8. The recesses 34 constitute continuations of portions of the walls of openings 36- formed in flanges 31 at the inner side of the blocks 25 and in these openings are rotatably mounted rings 38 located at the ends of arms 39 which are connected by a cross bar or handle 45. From the rings 38 are extended substantially semi-cylindrical longitudinally, channelled keys 4| which are adapted to move into the recesses 34 so as to be completely contained within them when the handle 40 is swung forwardly and downwardly to its extreme position. See Figure 11. This unlocks the blocks 25. However when the handle is raised to its other position, the keys 4| will move into recesses 35 in the Walls of blocks 1 so as to lock the blocks 25 against movement relative to the recesses 8 in which they are located.

The expressing roll Hi can be driven by any suitable means. For example, and as shown in Figure 2, a drive pulley 42 can be attached to one of its gudgeons and located outside of one of the heads I. When this expressing roll is actuated, the belt 20 is moved and motion is also transmitted to the expressing roll 3| contacting with the belt.

Fabrics to be fed through the wringer are placed on the ascending portion of the belt and will thus be conveyed into the pass between said belt and the upper expressing roll 3|, the extracted moisture flowing downwardly along the belt, as will be obvious. course prevent the belt from saggingunder the weight of the fabrics thereon. As the fabrics move between the belt and the upper expressing roll, the blocks 1 and 25 and the roll 3i will be free to move upwardly against the action of the springs l l which pull upon blocks 1 through rods Under normal conditions the handle 40 is supported in a raised position as in Figures 1 and 3.

'While the handle is in this position the blocks 25 and the bar 24 are held against movementrela- Should the hand of the user or any other partbecome caught in The members IE will of the pass between the expressing rolls, a downward pressure against handle 4|] will result in the rotation of rings 38 and keys 4| to a position where the keys will be Withdrawn from recesses 35, thereby permitting the blocks 25 and bar 24 to swing upwardly and the roll 3| to move away from the roll I3. Consequentlydanger of injury to the operator is materially lessened.

The gudgeons of the rolls are preferably movably mounted in the ends of the rolls as shown for example in Figure 9. For instance the gudgeon 22 of one of the rolls 2| is slidable in a sleeve 43 seated in the end of the roll. This sleeve has an inturned flange 44 at its inner end and a spring seated in the sleeve bears at one end against the flange and at its other end against the shoulder 46 on the gudgeon. The inner end of the gudgeon can project into the recess 41 formed in the face of the roll and this projecting portion 48 of the gudgeon can be formed with a notch or kerf 49. Thus by inserting a screw driver or other suitable device into the recess 47 and into the kerf 49, the gudgeon can be retracted into the roll and thus disengage from the head I. All of the rolls are preferably provided with gudgeons mounted in the manner herein described, and on roller or ball bearings except roll [8.

What is claimed is:

1. A wringer including opposed heads having recesses in their inner sides, rigid connections between the heads below the recesses, a lower ex pressing roll journalled between the heads below the recesses, blocks slidably mounted within the recesses, yielding means extending below the recesses and connected to the blocks for drawing the blocks downwardly within the recesses, a cross bar, bearing blocks carried thereby and movably connected to the respective slidable blocks 'in the recesses, an upper expressing roll journalled in the bearing blocks, and means for holding the bearing blocks against movement within the slidable block, said means including connected rings'rotatably mounted within the respective slidable blocks, and arcuate keys extending from the rings, there being normally registering opposed recesses in each slidable block and the bearing block therein and each key being rotatable into position wholly within one of the recesses or into position in both of the matching recesses thereby to release the bearing blocks for movement relative to the sliding blocks or to fasten said blocks against relative movement.

2. A wringer including a main or lower memher, an upper member slidable therein, yielding .means extending from and below the upper member and within and cooperating with the lower member for resisting upward movement of the upper member relative to the lower member, cooperating upper and lower expressing rolls carried by the upper and lower members respectively, and means for adjusting the upper roll relative to the upper member independently of said yielding means, said latter means including bearing blocks for the upper roll movably mount- 'ed within the upper member, a connection between the bearing blocks, and connected means carried by the bearing blocks and cooperating with the movable member for holding said bearing blocks normally against movement relative to the upper member.

3. A wringer including a main or lower member,1an upper member slidable therein, yielding means extending below the upper member and within and cooperating with the lower member for resisting upward movement of the upper member relative to the lower member, cooperating upper and lower expressing rolls carried by the upper and lower members respectively, bearing blocks movably mounted within the upper members and carrying the upper expressing roll, and means for holding the bearing blocks against movement relative to the upper member, said means including connected rings rotatably mounted for rotation within the respective bear- 1O ing blocks and arcuate keys extending from the rings, there being normally registering opposed recesses in each block and the upper member and each key being rotatable into position wholly Within one of the recesses or into position in both of the matching recesses thereby to release the bearing blocks for movement relative to the upper member or to fasten said blocks against movement,

' JOHN V. GUNN 

